Sensationail Gel Polish Starter Kit Review

Hellloooo,

If you saw my last post you will have read that I have recently taken my acrylic nails off to try and get them in a bit better condition after two and a half years of having them on. When I had them taken off I decided to try the gel polishes as I really like the shine they give and the fact that they last about two weeks.

The beauty salon that I went to used OPI gel and I was really impressed with how they turned out; they lasted a good two weeks and added a bit of extra protection for my nails as they are so weak at the moment. After trying the gel polish I was hooked and decided to buy a kit so that I could do them myself at home and save money on going to the salon. A friend at work recommended the Sensationail starter kit to me so that was the one which I went for in the end.

The kit costs £60 which is quite pricey but if you add up all the money I will be saving on getting my nails done professionally, it soon ends up paying for itself. For your money you get an LED lamp, gel primer, base coat/top coat, gel cleanser, 12 lint free wipes, nail buffer, manicure stick and two gel polishes in the colours of your choice.

 

I used the kit for the first time last week and it was so quick and easy to do. I went for the Pink Bouquet shade which is quite a bright pink and added Avon Silver Glitter polish on the ring fingers for a bit of extra detail. At first I was a bit sceptical and thought they wouldn’t turn out anywhere near as good as when I get them done professionally but I was really happy with the results. A major bonus for me is not having to sit and wait for the polish to dry as I always end up fidgeting and smudging a nail. I have had the polish on for a week now and there have been no chips at all and the shine and finish has stayed perfect too.

So far I haven’t come across any negatives with the gel kit, apart from maybe that the polishes are quite expensive – Sensationail ones are £10 each but they are only 7.39ml and OPI ones are around £20! I did have trouble getting the gel off from the first set I had done but I didn’t have any acetone and ended up filing the polish off. Next time I will follow the instructions a bit better and hopefully it won’t be so difficult.

Overall I would really recommend the Sensationail gel starter kit and think it is good value for money. It’s so much easier not to have to sit and wait for polish to dry and you don’t have to worry about it chipping after two or three days.

Have any of you tried a gel polish kit? Which gel polishes do you use?

Thanks for reading :) xx

Sigma Mrs. Bunny Collection Update and MAC 150 Powder Brush Review

Hi everyone,

I just thought I’d do a quick update on my Sigma Mrs. Bunny Collection makeup brushes as I have had some trouble with the F30 Large Powder brush. A few weeks ago a large chunk of bristles fell out of the brush as you can see in the photograph. I have only had the set since my birthday in January so as you can imagine I was really disappointed that one of the brushes seemed to be falling apart already, even though I had been really careful in making sure I looked after them well.

I emailed Cloud 10 Beauty which is where the set was purchased from and I have to say they were really helpful and contacted Sigma on my behalf straight away. I was really just hoping for a replacement brush but I actually got a full refund for the set which I wasn’t expecting at all.

I’ve not been completely put off from buying Sigma again as the other brushes are still in perfect condition and I have had no trouble with shredding or any other problems. As you can see from my first review I was originally really impressed with the Sigma brushes and I still stick by this for the most part as I think it may just have been a one off fault.

So as I was a powder brush down I decided to treat myself to a new one. In the end I went for the MAC 150 Powder brush as I don’t have any MAC brushes but have heard nothing but good things about them.

The MAC 150 is a domed shaped brush that is fairly dense and lovely and soft. I have seen a noticeable improvement in the application of my powder since using this brush and I think I will struggle to use anything else now. It is a little on the pricey side at £32.50 but you can really tell that it is of a high quality and will hopefully last me a very long time! The only issue I have had is that it has shred quite a bit so I am hoping it won’t go the same way as my Sigma powder brush but I have been assured by other bloggers that this is a common problem and the shredding will lessen after a bit more use.

Have any of you guys used the MAC 150 brush or the Sigma Powder Brush? What did you think of them?

Thanks for reading :) xx

NOTD Boots No.7 Coral Kiss and Barry M Gold Glitter

Hi everyone :)

Last week I finally took the plunge and had my acrylic nails taken off after two and a half years of having them on. It’s been weird getting used to having shorter nails and I do miss my acrylics but I thought it was time for a break. My natural nails are very weak and bendy so it will do them the world of good to finally get some air!

For my post acrylic nails I decided to go for something bight and summery and picked out this orangey, red shade from Boots No.7 called Coral Kiss. I have quite a few No.7 polishes as I got a lot of them when Boots did the £5 off vouchers and I have always quite liked them. As I always like to add a bit of sparkle I used the Barry M Gold Glitter polish on the ring fingers but I think I'll need another coat as the glitter is a bit sparse at the moment. I also think it would look nice with the glitter on every nail if I fancy changing it up a bit.

I have just order the Sensationail gel kit as I am going to try and stick with my natural nails for a while so I will let you guys know how I get on with it!

Which polishes are you guys loving for summer? Has anyone tried using the gel kits?

Thanks for reading :) x

Sleek Famingo Blusher Review

Hi everyone,

I have built up quite a collection of blushers recently and have been trying not to buy anymore but I have heard so many good things about the Sleek blushers that I couldn't resist picking one up. 

After much deliberation in Superdrug I eventually decided to go for the Flamingo shade which is a very bright, hot pink colour with a matte finish. I really love the shade but you do have to be careful and make sure you apply it sparingly; it is highly pigmented and therefore it's very easy to go overboard. I have fairly pale skin so I only need a tiny amount to add a flush of colour to my cheeks, too much just makes me look like I have got a bit sunburnt! The blush has great staying power and is easy to blend which is especially handy with it being so bright! 

My only negative is that I find the packaging really difficult to open! I don't know if this is just me being useless but I find I'm messing about for ages before it eventually just pings open. If there is a knack to it please let me know as I feel like I am going wrong somewhere at the minute!

So overall I really love the Sleek blusher and will definitely be picking up another one. At £4.49 each they're not badly priced and there are loads of shades to choose from if you don't fancy something as bright as Flamingo.

Have any of you guys tried the Sleek blushers? Which shades would you recommend?

Thanks for reading :) xx

Better late than never! May favourites

Hi everyone!

It’s a case of better late than never with this blog post I’m afraid. It has been such a mad two weeks I have had literally no time for anything much but I’m hoping things are going to quieten down now and I can get get back on track. So here are the products that I have been using throughout May :) 

Dove Summer Glow Gradual Tanner £4.99 at Boots

Quite a few people have mentioned this product to me recently and said how good it is so when I saw it in Boots for half price I decided to give it a try. I have been using this lotion every night after showering and the tan has developed really nicely. I got the medium to dark shade even though my skin is quite pale but the tan is a lovely shade and not orange at all. I’m not overly keen on the smell and it can be a bit of a pain putting it on every day to keep the tan going but that’s just me being lazy! I am almost at the end of my first bottle now and I’ll definitely be buying it again.

Seventeen Doll’d Up Mascara £6.29

I am now on my second Seventeen Doll’d Up mascara and I am still loving it. I was a bit sceptical of this product at first but it has very quickly become a firm favourite. My lashes look so long and full when I have used this mascara and it doesn’t clump at all. I have written a full review of it here if you would like to read more :)

Boots No.7 Soft and Smooth Cleanser and Toner £8 each

I had been using the Lancome cleanser and toners but wanted to try something a bit less pricey so when No.7 at Boots had their 3 for 2 offer on I decided to pick up some products from their Soft and Smooth range. The cleanser and toner remove makeup effortlessly and leave your skin feeling really soft and hydrated. I have to be careful what I use on my skin as it is really sensitive but I have had no trouble with these products at all.

Seventeen Lasting Fix Lipstick in Dreamy £4.29

 

After the success I had with the Seventeen Doll’d Up mascara I thought I would give some other Seventeen products a try and went for this lovely matte pink shade. As it is a matte lipstick it is fairly drying but on the plus side it stays put for a long time. I really love the colour and think it is fab for summer.

Lancome Blush Subtil Palette £27

 

Although this product is a bit on the pricey side I would definitely recommend it, especially if you’re like me and not the best at contouring but want to give it a go. The palette comes with a handy step by step guide and the powders are so easy to work with. They blend super easily and add a subtle hint of colour so if you go wrong you don’t have to take all your makeup off and start again. I have written a full review of this product here.

So there you have the products which I have been reaching for throughout May. Hopefully I will be able to get back on track with my blog now and the posts will be a bit more regular :)

Have you tried any of the products I have been using? What were you favourite products in May?

Thanks for reading xx